University
of Tulsa iMBA student Vicki Haws was working at a local fast-food restaurant
when the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was passed in 1990. She
remembers the crew having lengthy discussions about how stupid it was to have to
renovate the bathrooms when they didn't have many disabled customers.
A year later, after a bullet tore through her spine in a gun accident, leaving her a partial quadriplegic, she had a whole new grasp of how hard it can be just to get around.
Now, as part of her studies, Has and three classmates have developed a plan for a proposed venture called Access Unlimited. The company would work with businesses to conduct site surveys, spot potential ADA compliance problems and identify ways owners can make it easier for people with disabilities to do business with them.
The Americans With Disabilities Act codifies the right of people with disabilities to have equal access to a variety of public and private services. It calls upon business owners and other to make reasonable accommodations to facilitate access, which might include changes such as installing curb cuts, widening doorways and lowering bathroom fixtures.
Another Access Unlimited team member is Warren Smith, a financial systems analyst at Williams. He has used a wheelchair since a 1983 car accident and shares Haws' personal perspective on their business plan.
"One of our biggest advantages is that we have a personal involvement with the disabled community and a firsthand knowledge of accessibility barriers," he said.
In his case, that knowledge includes staying in a motel where he could do nothing more than roll his wheelchair straight into the room and back it straight out. Because of the layout of the room, he couldn't turn, get to the bed or use the bathroom.
Unfortunately, the issue of ADA compliance has been complicated by reports of lawyers who base their practices on perpetual ADA-related lawsuits. Some have accused such lawyers of taking advantage of disability law to shake down business owners for quick settlements.
In this environment, the Access Unlimited partners face the delicate task of prompting business owners to think progressively without appearing coercive.
"It's a fine line. Business owners probably won't be open to change initially. We want to get their attention and get them focused on accessibility, but we don't want to go about it by jumping down their throats," Smith said. "We want them to choose to do the right thing, but we want to do the right thing, too"
Somewhere between the extremes of regulatory liability and idealism, there is practical economic reason for business owners to focus on accessibility. According to 2000 U.S. census figures, one in five Americans has some kind of disability, said Haws, who works as a disability benefits specialist at Tulsa's Ability Resources agency. In that light, it is not too hard to draw the link between accessibility barriers and lost sales.
TU iMBA students Steve Stone and Barbara Engle round out the Access Unlimited team. Under the iMBA's emphasis on group work, the four have collaborated on class projects since they began the online program together in 2001.
The students developed the Access Unlimited plan for the iMBA Innovation and Corporate Entrepreneurship course, which requires students to write a complete startup plan, including market analysis, capitalization and execution plans and profitability projections.
While the line between a class exercise and an actual venture can sometimes be hard to cross, at least one of the team members has a driving passion to make Access Unlimited fly.
"I want to pursue this plan," Haws said. "It's something I've wanted to do since I was in rehab after my accident."
In addition to the personal expertise of its principals, the plan benefits from the open market niche, few barriers to entry and low startup cost.
If financing should fall into place, the startup plan has Haws doing a lot of advance work to make contacts and begin building issue awareness.
"We view education as the biggest part of our sales mission," she said. "That's where we can take advantage of the fact that we ourselves have disabilities. Instead of coming to prospects as a lawyer or regulator, we can come to them as an individual, get them to see us as one of their potential customers, and understand the importance of accessibility on a more personal level. If I'm on a sales call and can't get into the building and have to wave at them through the window to get their attention, that sends an immediate message."
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